Tube rolling mill

ABSTRACT

Intermittent tube rolling mill in which at least one of the vises for holding the work is mounted for sliding movement in a direction transverse to the path of travel of the work.

United States Patent [1 [111 3,740,988 Peytavin June 26, 1973 TUBE ROLLING MILL 2,972,267 2/1961 Strock 72/198 75 I t Pi P m in N S 3,132,546 5/1964 nven Or. el'l'e ey v eul y-SLlrelne, France 793,858 7/1905 Thust 72/252 [73] Assignee: Societe Anonyme dlte:-Valloure (Usines A. Tubes de Lorraine-Escaut et Vallourec Reunies), Paris, France w r A t Filed: Sept. 1971 t omey o combe ethen 1 8L Bnsebois [21 Appl. 190.; 179,497

52 U.S. Cl. 72/238 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl ..B21b 21/04 [58] Field of Search 72/208, 209, 210, In ermi n tube rolling mill in which at least one of 72/214, 250, 252, 238, 188 the vises for holding the work is mounted for sliding movement in a direction transverse to the path of travel [56] I References Cited 0f the W011i- UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,338,081 8/1967 Schiller 72/252 7, Claims, 3 Drawing Figures TUBE ROLLING MILL SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to rolling mills for reducing the diameter of tubes, and especially to intermittently operating mills in which the tubes are guided, at the forward and back ends of the cage or saddle, by vises having rotating jaws.

Conventional rolling mills of this type have vises mounted to remain in front and in back of the roll cage and this arrangement has a certain number of disadvantages. In particular, when the rolls and the jaws of the mill must be changed so as to replace them with rolls and jaws adapted to treat a tube of different dimensions, it is not possible to change the rolls and the jaws at the same time because of lack of space. These changes must therefore be made one after the other, which leads to a substantial loss of time.

The present invention relates to an improvement in tube rolling mills which makes it possible to substantially reduce, by 40 percent for example, the time required to adapt the mill to a new tube size, while permitting the operator to work more easily and with less risk.

The object of the invention is to provide an improvement in tube rolling mills characterized by e fact that one or more vises guiding the tube or tubes being rolled are mounted on a support capable of being laterally displaced with respect to the longitudinal axis of the mill.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, both the vise or vises in front of the saddle and the vise or vises in back of the saddle may be thus displaced. The cage or saddle is thus made readily accessible to the operator while a second operator may easily replace the jaws of the vises at the same time.

The movable vise support is preferably adapted for lateral translation with respect to the axis of the mill but another type of movement, such as rotation of the support about an axis spaced from the longitudinal axis of the mill may be used.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the support for the vise is a slide or rod sliding on a preferably horizontal slideway perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the mill. When several vises are positioned side by side to guide several parallel tubes being rolled at the same time in the roll cage, it is possible to either mount all the vises located on the same side of the mill on a single movable support or to provide an independent support for each vise, the movement of the different vises taking place, for example, in different directions. The supports may be located in their operating position by simple abutment of the support against'a stop, while the supports may be locked in this position in any suitable way.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the support is mechanically locked in position by spring means which bias locking means, such as a wedge cooperating with a corresponding surface on the support, toward that support. This locking means may be pushed back against the resistance of the spring to release the support by any suitable means, for example a hydraulic cylinder.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail, and purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an intermittent rolling mill according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view taken through a vise according to the invention mounted on its slide; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view taken along the line IIIIII of FIG. 2.

The intermittent rolling mill illustrated comprises a frame 1 on which a cage 2 is slidably mounted. This cage carries the rolls 3 and is adapted to be horizontally reciprocated by two connecting rods 4. Only the upper connecting rod is shown in the drawing. At the rear of the frame 1 is a bench or slideway (not shown in FIG. 1) extending in the direction of the arrow Fl, that is to say, horizontally and transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rolling mill which passes axially through the tube section 5 located between the rolls 3. At the back of the frame 1 is another identical or similar slideway. This extends in the direction indicated by the arrow F2, that is to say, horizontally and transversely to the axis of the mill. Slides or rods 6 and 7 are respectively mounted on the said slideways to support the front and rear vises 8 and 9. By moving the sliding supports 6 and 7 on their respective slideways in the directions of the arrows F1 and F2 it is possible to separate the vises 8 and 9 from the longitudinal axis of the mill to bring them into the positions indicated at 8 and 9'. Access to the rolls 3 is thus facilitated for the operator whose duty it is to replace said roll, while one or more other operators may have easy access to the vises 8 and 9 so as to change their jaws.

Of course, in order to be able to translate the sliding support 6, it is first necessary to move the bar 10 back in the direction of the arrow F3 in order to remove it from the vise 8. Once the rolls have been replaced and the jaws changed, the supports 6 and 7 are returned to their initial position, a new tube is placed in position and the bar 10 is moved forward.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, these figures show a support such as 6, adapted to slide in the direction of the arrow F2 between the two slideways l 1 fixed to the frame and each terminating in a perpendicular surface 12 acting as a stop for the left end of the support. The vise 8 is mounted in any suitable manner on the support 6. The support 6 may be moved in the direction of the arrow F2, and returned in the opposite direction either manually, mechanically, or by means of a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 13. At the end of the return movement the stop 12 assures correct positioning of the support 6. Various means may be provided to immobilize the support against its stop.

'Thus, for example, it is possible to provide at the end of each slideway two wedges 14 and 15, the upper wedge 14 being capable of vertical displacement with respect to the frame so that itsupper face engages the lower face of the support 6, whereas the lower wedge l5which cooperates with the wedge 14 may be moved by a hydraulic cylinder so as to slide over a portion la of the framein the direction of the arrow F2. By actuating the hydraulic cylinder 16, the wedge 15 is caused to compress a spring 17 consisting, for example, of elastic discs, which bear on the frame 1 itself. During this displacement of the wedge 15 the upper wedge 14 descends and thus unlocks the support 6 which may then r be moved by the hydraulic cylinder 13 to its release position. When the pressure in the cylinder 16 is relieved, the spring 17 urges the wedge 15 to the left, which raises the wedge 14, which then reaches a position locking the support 6 against the upper part of the slideway 11, if the support 6 is then in position against the abutment or stop 12. Of course other locking means may be provided which, instead of wedging the slide against the upper part of the slideway, immobilizes the slide 6 in some other manner.

When the vises 8 and 9 are in operating position they may be rotated about the axis of the tube by any suitable means. However, a mechanism must be interposed between the shaft transmitting the rotary movement of the vise and the movable members of the vise itself so as to insure transmission of the rotation when the vise 8 is in its operating position. It is possible, for example, when the shaft transmitting the drive to the vise extends in a direction parallel to the arrow F1, to provide this shaft with grooves which permit the vise 8 to slide in said grooves.

While one particular embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, it will be appreciated that it may be modified as to detail without departing from the basic principles of the invention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an intermittent tube rolling mill comprising a reciprocable cage, rolls replaceably mounted in said cage, at least one vise having replaceable jaws for guiding at least one tube being rolled, the improvement which comprises supporting means carrying said at least one vise, said supporting means being mounted for lateral displacement of said vise from a single operative position in axial alignment with said cage to an inoperative position in which said vise is laterally spaced from said cage.

2. Mill as claimed in claim 1 in which said support is mounted to slide laterally on at least one slideway forming part of the mill.

3. Mill as claimed in claim 2 comprising a stop positioned in the path of said support to determine the operating position thereof.

4. Mill as claimed in claim 2 comprising locking means having a working surface and movable into a position in which said working surface engages a mating surface on the support, and adapted to immobilize said support in its operating position when so engaged.

5. Mill as claimed in claim 4 in which said locking means is biassed in the direction of the support by at least one spring and comprising fluid pressure means for moving said locking means against the resistance of said spring.

6. Mill as claimed in claim'4 in which said locking means comprises a wedge having a flat surface adapted to engage a mating surface of the support and an inclined surface cooperating with the inclined surface of a second wedge actuated by a hydraulic cylinder for movement between a first position in which said first wedge is gripped between said second wedge and said mating surface and a second position in which said first wedge is released by said second wedge.

7. Mill as claimed in claim 1 in which said support carries a plurality of vises. 

1. In an intermittent tube rolling mill comprising a reciprocable cage, rolls replaceably mounted in said cage, at least one vise having replaceable jaws for guiding at least one tube being rolled, the improvement which comprises supporting means carrying said at least one vise, said supporting means being mounted for lateral displacement of said vise from a single operative position in axial alignment with said cage to an inoperative position in which said vise is laterally spaced from said cage.
 2. Mill as claimed in claim 1 in which said support is mounted to slide laterally on at least one slideway forming part of the mill.
 3. Mill as claimed in claim 2 comprising a stop positioned in the path of said support to determine the operating position thereof.
 4. Mill as claimed in claim 2 comprising locking means having a working surface and movable into a position in which said working surface engages a mating surface on the support, and adapted to immobilize said support in its operating position when so engaged.
 5. Mill as claimed in claim 4 in which said locking means is biassed in the direction of the support by at least one spring and comprising fluid pressure means for moving said locking means against the resistance of said spring.
 6. Mill as claimed in claim 4 in which said locking means comprises a wedge having a flat surface adapted to engage a mating surface of the support and an inclined surface cooperating with the inclined surface of a second wedge actuated by a hydraulic cylinder for movement between a first position in which said first wedge is gripped between said second wedge and said mating surface and a second position in which said first wedge is released by said second wedge.
 7. Mill as claimed in claim 1 in which said support carries a plurality of vises. 